BET President Of Original Programming Loretha Jones Exits

Loretha Jones is departing BET Networks after a six-year stint as President of Original Programming, during which she oversaw original programming, news, development, planning and acquisitions. Jones announced her departure today, but it had been rumored for a while. In fact, just yesterday BET announced the appointment of Pete Danielsen as EVP Program Planning, Scheduling & Acquisitions. Reporting to Debra L. Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET Networks, Danielsen took over half of Jones’ portfolio. (The executive he replaced, Barbara Zaneri, had the same title but used to report to Jones.)

In a statement confirming Jones’ exit, BET said she will stay on as a creative consultant, working on several projects, which I hear include movie Beyond The Lights and BET’s first miniseries, The Book of Negroes, which are wrapping. BET also announced that Darrell Walker, EVP and General Counsel, will assume day-to-day operations for BET programming until a replacement is announced. (Coincidentally, Jones also is a lawyer by trade.) Stephen Hill, President of Music Programming and Specials, will remain in his current role along with Danielsen.

Jones, a well-liked executive, was instrumental in BET’s pickup of cancelled CW sitcom The Game, which relaunched on BET to a gigantic 7.7 million viewers. She also was key in the signing of unprecedented for BET producing deal with The Game duo of Salim and Mara Brock Akil that led to another hit, BET’s first drama series Being Mary Jane. The network’s original sitcom roster also has included Let’s Stay Together, Reed Between The Lines and Second Generation Wayans. In addition to helping with The Game acquisition, which ushered original scripted series on BET, Jones also locked the deal for BET sibling Centric to bring back cancelled VH1 show Single Ladies as the channel’s first scripted series. Jones’ recent projects, the longform Beyond The Lights and Book of Negroes, harken back to her previous gigs as EVP of MTV Films/Paramount Pictures and SVP of MTV Films/MTV Home Entertainment.

“Over the course of my career at Viacom, I have had an amazing opportunity to work with some of the finest creative people in the business and oversee a slate of original programming that makes me extremely proud,” Jones said in a statement. “It’s been an incredible journey at BET Networks and I am grateful for the experience.”

6 Comments

3rd times a charm • on Sep 5, 2014 10:10 pm

Maybe now the true potential of this network will be realized. All the grudges and talent/reps walking around on eggs shells was the most counter productive virus affecting this place. Please hire a REAL television network executive and team next.

George • on Sep 6, 2014 10:16 am

How exactly is that going to happen when the network is owned by a white corporation only thinking about the bottom line.

Who Asked You Anyway • on Sep 6, 2014 7:50 pm

She built an incredible library of programming and clearly had the guts to get the product. Smart, savvy and did you know she started out as attorney for Spike Lee and others. Many years ago she took the initiative to cold call me, get a meeting and make an impression such that I remember how poised she was and how determined to get her clients projects financed and distributed.

• on Sep 8, 2014 10:26 pm

Well-liked executive? Where did you come up with that? No, quite the opposite. She’s pretty much hated by everyone she works. She leads by fear. I worked closely with her for the six years she was there and she had me fired because of her SVP right hand person’s complete incompetence.

icu • on Sep 9, 2014 11:54 am

i have to agree. She WASNT very well liked. And a lot of people inside of BET and outside are happy to see her get the BOOT!

just sayin' • on Sep 15, 2014 11:25 am

‘Well liked’?!?! You couldn’t find an executive, agent or producer that LIKES Loretha with a geiger counter and a guide dog. The negotiations to bring back The Game – her only success while at the network – began with her predecessor, Reginald Hudlin, not Loretha. Her only accomplishments have been OKing the movie package that has driven their ratings growth, hiring a team of execs that she could rule by fear and intimidation and successfully kissing up to her corporate superiors.